Home Asbestos Removal: What Are The Facts?

Posted on March 25, 2018

If you asked most modern homeowners if their homes where safe and free from asbestos, they would say “yes”. However, there’s a good chance that this isn’t true. While Australia is one of 55 countries that currently bans asbestos, it still poses a risk to the population. Here are some facts worth knowing about asbestos home removal and the risks you could be facing.

Australia was one of the biggest users of asbestos

Because Australia had plenty of natural reserves and mining of asbestos, for many years we had the highest per capita use of the toxin in the world. This means that the chance of you having it inyour home is higher than you think.

Asbestos was only completely banned in 2003

In Australia, crocidolite asbestos (also known as blue asbestos) was banned in the sixties and amosite asbestos (also known was brown asbestos) was banned in the eighties. However, all other forms were only banned as late as 2003 – much later than most people think.

Mesothelioma is still being diagnosed

Between the 80s and present day, thousands of Australians have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. While cases are starting to level off, diagnoses are still occurring in one particular group…

Homeowners are at risk

The majority of construction and building companies are well aware of the risks posed by asbestos exposure. There are various laws in place that have encouraged this sector to deal with the presence of asbestos responsibly, in order to avoid fines and lawsuits.

Research shows that the group most at risk of coming into contact with asbestos is homeowners. Many DIY enthusiasts in Australia are unwittingly putting themselves at risk while undertaking minor repairs in and around the home.

What you can do

Before you even think about picking up a hammer or nail, it’s best to get the opinions of asbestos management and removal experts. They will thoroughly evaluate your property from top to toe to see if there’s even the slightest trace of asbestos being present.

It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as risk free exposure to asbestos. No home renovation job is worth your life and well-being, so you owe it to your loved ones to deal with the any potential risk present before it becomes an eventuality.